Our middle grade book spotlight this week is on books that are filled with suspense and thrills!! Sometimes I think these are the scariest types of books because you have no idea what is going to happen next and your brain prepares for the worst as you turn the page, not knowing what is going to be there waiting for you. If you are looking for a read that is going to keep you on the edge of your seat then you have come to the right place! These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youththriller as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new middle grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Doll Bones by Holly Black--Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.
Splendors and Gloom by Laura Amy Schlitz--When Clara vanishes after the puppeteer Grisini and two orphaned assistants were at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping chases the trio away from London and soon the two orphans are caught in a trap set by Grisini's ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it is too late.
Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz--When 13-year-old Michael O'Shaunessey's family moves from Ireland to Nazi Germany during World War II, he does his best to fit in with the other members of the Hitler Youth, but not because he believes in Hitler's cause. Michael's family are spies. Befriending the son of the man designing the Nazi's secret warplane is just part of his job. But things become increasingly complicated and dangerous when he's assigned to a group instructed to assassinate a Jewish physicist who is working on developing an atomic bomb for the Americans.
Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi--Laylee finds herself utterly alone after her mother's death sent her father into a downward spiral of grief. As the last mordeshoor of her village she finds herself lost in the work of preparing the dead for the afterlife. But Laylee's tiresome world is turned upside down when two familiar strangers walk into her life and show her the power of friendship.
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar--It begins with a bully named Chad challenging seventh-grader Marshall Walsh to a fight. Marshall and fifth-grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi have walked with each other to and from school ever since they were little, always on the same route. To avoid a fight, Marshall and Tamaya decide to take a detour home through the mysterious woods. Chad follows, the kids get lost, and the world will never be the same. The kids discover “fuzzy mud,” a strange, dangerous byproduct of unchecked scientific experimentation. The government gets involved, and Marshall, Tamaya, and Chad learn what it means to face real danger.
Camp Murderface by Josh Berk--Corryn Quinn and Tez Jones are both attending Camp Sweetwater for the summer--the first time it's been open in thirty years. Tez is excited to be allowed to go in lieu of his heart condition, and Corryn knows she's being sent away while her parents settle their divorce. Early on in their time there, Tez and Corryn seem to be the only ones noticing spooky events happening, and when they investigate the history of the camp, they realize they may be in danger.